This morning I read about the murder of B. Golec* in Ohio. They were stabbed to death by their own father. Golec was only 22 years old. Their death marks the sixth trans woman** or gender-nonconforming person to be reported murdered in the U.S. in 2015. It’s not even March.

As the New York City Anti-Violence Projectnoted in their tweet about Golec’s murder, “This time in 2014 we knew of no homicides of Trans women in the US. As of now there are AT LEAST SIX.”

This time in 2014, just a year ago, Laverne Cox and Carmen Carrera had publicly challenged Katie Couric; I sparred about language and identity on CNN; Cox’s Netflix series Orange Is the New Black was preparing for its second season; and my memoir had landed on the New York Times bestsellers list. This was the highest media saturation for trans women of color in U.S. history. As a writer and journalist, I had been forecasting the game-changing moment that was soon to come in May: Cox, a black trans woman from Mobile, Alabama, appearing on the cover of Time magazine.

After decades of erasure, trans women of color were finally garnering mainstream attention. Cox used her time in the pop cultural spotlight to not only advance her acting career, but to tell the stories of women like CeCe McDonald. We both stood behind Monica Jones as she resisted police profiling in Phoenix, Arizona, and trans Latina teen Jane Doe as she was unlawfully held in an adult prison.

Personally, I know that my visibility has to be more than just about my own pursuits. When I walk into a space, I am cognizant of the fact that I am bringing communities of people with me, communities that have historically been exiled and silenced. The weight of that responsibility never lightens, even as I navigate uncharted terrain as a TV host. My show So POPular! explores the intersection of popular culture, representation, politics, identity and community. Though it doesn’t explicitly cover trans issues, it’s a space created and fronted by a trans woman of color, so the lens to which I explore topics on my show is that of a trans person, a black person, a woman of color. My goal is to take the focus away from myself as a subject, and instead be the person asking the questions, shaping the conversation.

I’ve seen folks juxtapose the recent media visibility of trans women of color and these recent murders. I’ve read sentences to the effect of: “At a time when trans women of color have visibility, we still see trans women murdered.” I find this logic to be quite basic.

Yes, trans women are being murdered. Yes, trans women of color have gained mainstream visibility. But trans women, particularly those of color, have always been targeted with violence. The differences now? There are some systems in place that better report violence and there is finally visibility of a select few that helps challenge the media’s framing of these women’s lives.

But cultural representation is just one piece of the social justice pie, and we must be clear about one thing: Trans women of color have had one year of visibility in the media, after decades of erasure (think about how many times historians, archivists, filmmakers or books mention the revolutionary work of Sylvia Rivera, Marsha P. Johnson or Miss Major Griffin-Gracy). It’ll take more than a year of a few trans women in media to transform decades of structural oppression and violence, decades of misinformation, decades of exiling.

We are not existing in a fairytale where the very recent successes of a few individuals — whether that’s Laverne or Carmen or me — could quickly and radically transform the lives of our sisters who are resisting in already struggling communities, who are navigating poverty, homelessness, and joblessness while also facing high medical and educational costs, police profiling and incarceration as well as HIV/AIDS, the risks of underground economies as well as the looming threat and reminders of violence.

I nodded and responded: “So much of it is linked to the idea that women are not valued, people of color are not valued and trans people are often invalidated in our society. So when you throw that all into one person’s body, there’s a lot of targeting that comes into that space. We need to have a national outrage over these bodies that no one is protecting.”

Maher then said, “I thought, and maybe I’m wrong, that the violence came because the transgender person didn’t tell the guy about their past and then the guy kissed her or something and then found out. And he’s like, ‘Oh now, I’m a homo.”

I challenged Maher by telling him that trans women are not being targeted solely because men find themselves attracted to us. No woman deserves violence. Period. We do not exist to “trick” or “deceive” men into sleeping with us. Trans women are targeted because we exist at vulnerable intersections of race, gender and class. My sisters are vulnerable because no one movement has ever centered the bodies, lives and experiences of these women, except for the severely underfunded, largely volunteer-staffed work of organizations run by and for our communities (from TGIJP, Casa Ruby, TransLatina Coalition, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, TWOCC, TransJustice, to name a few).

Trans women of color dangerously fall in between the cracks of racial justice, feminist and LGbt movements.

Our visibility at this particular moment in culture is helping reshape the narrative of trans women’s lives, it’s helping those who may not know a trans person get familiar with the lives and struggles of trans people, it’s helping push media gatekeepers to report on our lives with a more just and true lens (though it still seems to be struggling when it comes to Bruce Jenner’s alleged transition). What we can’t expect this visibility to do is cure our society of its longstanding prejudice, miseducation and myths surrounding trans women.

Even on the most liberal shows, trans women are still often punch lines (see any lazy joke targeting Jenner’s femininity and body). Even in our moment in the media spotlight, one fallen white trans body garners mainstream headlines over the consistent murders of those that are black and brown. Even in movements organizing against violence against women or black and brown bodies, trans women of color’s bodies are not prone to mass mobilization and I watch as my sisters and siblings speak with one another about protecting trans bodies with hashtags #blacktranslivesmatter and #translivesmatter.

I point out these disparities in an effort to better frame this moment we’re existing in, as someone who has been privileged with access to visibility, as someone who grew up with little access to mirrors that represented me. I am humbled that I can be one such mirror for girls growing up like I did. Representation is an affirming start, but it’s not everything.

There’s much we should be applauding, yet as we applaud, we must also be aware of those women existing outside of the media’s narrow lens, the women organizing, the women on the streets hustling, the women rejected from shelters and improperly placed in men’s detention and prison facilities, the women volunteering their limited resources to support communities of trans folk who’ve been overwhelming neglected by movements.

The names of our sisters shouldn’t only make headlines when we walk a red carpet or lay in a casket. Our visibility shouldn’t be subject to such extreme circumstances. We’ve grown too accustomed, in the past year, to speaking the names of Laverne Cox and Janet Mock, and giving ourselves social justice cred for doing so. This is dangerously tokenizing and speaks to the hypervisibility of women of color who are expected to not only carry their dreams but the dreams of an entire race and people with them.

It’s part of the reason why I am weary of amplifying these women’s deaths because it often feels like these women’s names are only spoken by the majority of us when they can no longer respond. But I must speak their names and when I do, I am aware that my sisters do not need to be reminded of their vulnerability and the threat of violence that looms over their lives.

—* When trans or gender-nonconforming people are killed, it is often family members who get the final say in determining how the media genders their fallen loved one. There’s been much discussion about Golec’s gender identity. To respect the possible fluidity of Golec’s gender, I’ve updated this essay by changing Bri Golec to B. Golec and used gender neutral “they” pronouns.
**Since publishing this essay, I am aware that the “6 trans women” should be qualified with “at least six trans women were reported to be murdered.” On Feb. 18, Kristina Gomez Reinwald (aka Christina Grant Infiniti) was found dead in her home.
***Much gratitude to Mitch Kellaway who has been consistently reporting on each of these women’s deaths with an intersectional lens.

30 Comments

Dear trans women of all colors and ethnicity. I am a male but I find it unbelievable to know that a modern and secular country such as America who boasted value of freedom, could not tolerate trans women. These people despise religion based terrorism but terrorize the very basic human right to choose what he or she want to be. I suggest you move to Far East and find friendly people who love you. Move to Thailand or Indonesia where trans women are apreciated and you will find peace there.

You are so thoughtful and eloquent and such a wonderful spokesperson and advocate for our community. I find your piece thought-provoking, and so true.
But, I have only one thing I would like to add as a Caucasian trans woman who is just transitioning: we are a community, I have been a part of this community for almost 7 years, and in my experience, we have embraced trans women of all ethnicities. Yes, trans women of color are more vulnerable, for all the reasons you have stated.
But violence and hatred against all trans women is wrong! And we all need to take a stand against this violence and discrimination NOW!
All of us have been and continue to be marginalized by feminists and the “LGBT community.” We must ALL speak out and send together: When one trans woman is murdered, be it a woman of color, caucasion,latino, asian…, all of use die just a little.
Thank you for being such a visible, positive and outspoken advocate for all of us❤️

Of course violence against all trans women, or all people, is wrong. There’s no debating that. As I stated in my piece, trans women of color overwhelmingly represent reported murders. As one of a few trans women of color writers, I take no qualms about centering race, gender and class in my work. We are a large, vast and diverse community and pointing that out doesn’t divide us, it makes us stronger. Thanks!

Hi Janet! I knew Brian through the rave scene, and I know his fiancee and many of his close friends. While Brian was very supportive of the trans community, at the time of his death, HE DID NOT IDENTIFY AS TRANS. He identified as male and preferred male pronouns. A few close friends even report that they spoke with Brian specifically about his gender identity recently, and Brian was frustrated that people called his identity into question simply because he had a more feminine style.

Please correct your article. Brian’s death was tragic and it’s been awful to see people misgendering him left and right and spreading this lie. In addition, it’s very disrespectful to the trans community – instead of focusing on the deaths of actual trans people, the media is creating a false martyr. Brian’s father killed him because Kevin was a worthless junkie. That’s the whole story.

Thanks in advance for correcting this and helping to spread the truth. Our local rave scene has seen too much death lately and we have enough to deal with without this.

Let me start out by saying I truly admire your work, and that it is absolutely necessary and important work that needs to be recognized as such. What you need to know is that I knew Brian (who you refer to as Bri). He attended trans support groups and wanted to be known as Bri for about a year, however in the months leading up to his death he came out as gender fluid and wished to be called Brian and use masculine pronouns. Please respect his memory by not misgendering him! Here is an article that his close friends have told me is accurate. Please spread the truth and respect his memory!

Thanks for providing clarity here. There’s been much discussion, some of it quite pointed and heated, about Golec’s gender identity. To respect the possible fluidity of Golec’s gender identity, I’ve updated this essay with simply “B. Golec” and used gender neutral “they” pronouns.

I didn’t like your essay, but it needed to be put out there. You spoke with eloquence and maturity and I still did not like it. As a black transwoman, I myself transitioned late in life and yet I have faced virtually no hostility. Sure I get snickers and stares, I get called sir here and there because I am not passable, but I kept my job and so I have an steady income. I am in school, “in San Francisco” so no issues there as we transpeople have basic rights in this neck of the woods. Yet and still a trans-sista at the ripe age of 36 was murdered in this very city not 2 weeks ago in a city “rumored” to be a bastion of equalty. You and other trans-women do so much for the trans-community, our identities and lived experiences are being broadcast over the media-waves and yet we still face an up hill climb that rivals climing half-dome.

My family for the most part accepts me, I’ve had very little friction there. I live in the EastBay, in Oakland Ca and people make jokes about how dangerous it is over here, especially for the LGBTQ population, the emphasis should be on Trans-women. Oakland Ca and Alameda county is one of the most friendly and accepting regions in the nation and yet the possibility of being murdered looms for every trans-woman of color on this side of the bay.

We need to, no we must shout louder, we must protest longer, we must stand longer, we cannot give in to hate, even if we don’t like hearing about our injustices. There are times when I wonder why it is so easy for people to hate? I’m far from being naive but the hate that is spewed like venom towards a people, community, race or whatever is simply mind boggling.

You see, I didn’t like your essay because it reminds me, I have to shout louder, stand longer, protest longer, “I” need to bear down and give more, help those who don’t have what I have. We have enough shade and backstabbing in our community that it’s keeping us from progress. When we come together, when we support one another, when we fight together we can overcome anything. There are times when I just want to walk away and then I read an essay by Janet Mock or watch a youtube video by one of the multi-talented trans-sistas out there. I read stories of trans-women struggling, making ends meet, volunteering, doing whatever it takes to make the world a better place and I hope and pray to myself that one day I will read an essay by you or someone else that celebrates our lives. An essay where you are not shouting and explaining over and over to people why our lives matter. We really have to explain to people why our lives matter! That is a trip! Explaining to people why our lives matter is an exercise in combating hate. Explaining to somone why they should care is weird in the extreme. When tragedy occurs whether by nature or human hand, people come together, you don’t need any examples because they are all over the news (well in free societies anyway) but when trans-women are murdered, we have to “EXPLAIN” to people why they should be outraged, why they should care.

I was mentally injured reading your essay, yet it needed to be said. I’m sure I COULD NOT have done a better job and to be frank, honey, I don’t know how you keep going. You are truly a treasure.

Applause. Eloquent response and I agree. I would love to read something on the celebration of transgender lives. Showing positive support in a public way is a needed step to reduce the tragedies. Awareness is good but awareness of the positive too!

This breaks my heart. I saw this information, that 6 trans women were murdered since the beginning of 2015, in the comments section of an article about Bruce Jenner yesterday. Now, I’m a 38 year old white woman from Texas so I can’t speak from a place of personal experience, but I’m deeply empathetic and unconditionally supportive of my sisters. Ladies, we have to stick together. Violence against women will not stop until we collectively stand up and demand it. We have to watch out for and protect each other. What I saw yesterday in the responses to Bruce’s transition was astounding. It’s a level of ignorance-fueled hate that, in my opinion, is unmatched by anything else I’ve seen. The misinformation about what it means to be transgendered was overwhelming. I interjected reality and fact every chance I had and eventually, the tone began to shift…slightly. Education is profoundly needed. We have so much superficial knowledge; make-up tips, anyone? What do people truly know about what it means to identify as trans or cis? Hardly anything I’m discovering. These are but a few of the misconceptions I kept running into; being trans means you’re gay, just because you like to wear men’s/women’s clothing doesn’t mean you need surgery, it’s a mental disorder, trans people were severely abused as children, and (in my opinion the most damaging one) that it’s a choice. Visibility is wonderful and will lead to more people discovering truth and knowledge. That knowledge will lead to acceptance. Right now it seems as though all the visibility is falling on blind eyes. It’s great that people are getting to know who Laverne Cox is and that she’s being embraced by so many people. However, for far too many Laverne Cox is just another RuPaul and from what I’m seeing, her visibility is doing nothing to alleviate the black hole of ignorance that fuels this hate. How do we change that?

I’m a white trans woman, and what you’re saying is very problematic for our community, which you seem more interested in dividing on color lines than speaking of with solidarity. White trans women are frequently targeted with violence and/or murdered as well, just read the Day of Remembrance list. Be real, basically *no* murdered transperson makes any real headlines, whether black, brown, or white. If white victims get more attention, it’s not much more, and often none. We’re all invisible.

Yes, trans women of color have more challenges, of course – but we’re all at societal rock bottom, all extreme targets, and when *none* of us yet have real rights and opportunities, it’s just crabs-in-a-barrel to position trans women of color as more-suffering or more-needing of protection. White trans women have been murdered in droves too, don’t distort facts for your narrative when we need to raise up our community all at once.
Much love,
Em

In fact, I would say that without the recognition of one’s privileges, there’s no place for true empathy or solidarity.
Oppression can manifest in many forms. A ciswoman of color has a position of privilege that derives from her being cisgender, while suffering from the oppresion that comes with being a POC. Cross that with class, disabilities, body weight, migratory status or even country of residence and you will find that opression and social exclusion is a very multifactorial issue.
Solidarity happens when we recognize that this differences exists whithin our communities and support each other through them.

I’ve been trying to talk about this issue for decades. About fifteen years ago, I was teaching a class at the Harvey Milk Institute on TransHistory. I posted some of my class notes and essays on a website. Soon afterwards, one of my comments became an internet meme, “One in Twelve”. Of course, that one in twelve was referring only to transwomen, not to all trans* folk: https://sillyolme.wordpress.com/page/3/

The key to understanding these murders is to look at who actually gets attacked, who is actually killed. It is our youngest, and nearly universally straight identified transwomen. Further, given the nature of privilege and sexuality, it is more often women of color, since more transwomen of color are straight identified than lesbian identified, than our older, white, and often very privileged, transwomen.

I feel it is long past time that we (the transcommunity) recognize who is most vulnerable and work to increase both safety and respect to our kids.

I know you probably get this a lot, but it bares repeating: you’re absolutely brilliant, beautiful, and fierce. I look up to you and so many other trans activist who keep on fighting in the face of ignorance, erasure, and appropriation and it gives me the hope and strength to keep fighting.

I’m a trans woman of color (latina). Makes me kind of frightened. Like am I going to be next?!? Please open your eyes people! This stuff is real and there are people out there like me that are sincerely scared for our lives! Please spread the word that thus is unacceptable…please…

Hi Joselyn — I am so sorry that you are frightened. It’s part of the reason why I am often torn when sharing or writing about trauma, violence and tragedy because I do not want to amplify the threat that follows my sisters’ lives. I am wishing you strength, love and peace.

I have seen so many changes in our community from when I transitioned 17 years ago. Mine was typical family rejected me, friends turned away, lost my job of 20 years, was attacked and beaten just for being my true self.

How times change. I retired from IBM after a great career as a software engineer (post transition), My family and I are now on great terms and I have many friends who accept me.

But sorry to say that is still not typical, my beginning of my transition is still the normal life for a transgender person.

One of the things that really hurts is how these murdered Trans women are still misgendered and any legal problems they have had are highlighted. Thus to almost justify their murder!!

To most people we are still just pretending to be our true gender and using this to deceive them. Most especially those of color are blocked from getting decent jobs and are forced to enter into the underground jobs just to survive! This is used to then belittle us and say we are not worthy of fair treatment!!

One of the most important things that could happen is the passage of ENDA ( Employment Nondiscrimination Act() to include Gay and Transgender people. If we could get jobs and expose people to us s regular people. It will then start to change the attitudes about us.

I appreciate the words. I know how precious words are to you. I’ve found myself fortunate to be a stealth black trans woman with an advanced degree and commendable work experience. Yet find the challenge of connecting with my next job. I can only imagine the challenges girls face with limited encouragement, education, and networking skills. My prayer is to create a channel of employment in my career field for girls seeking mainstream employment and even affirming institutions to educate themselves to their liking. If there’s anything I can do to assemble a chain of support, I’m always available

Your article is very good. As a trans woman I can tell we have been long forgotten for years have seen many of our sisters brutalized by both police and by fellow citizens. Over the years many of our sisters have taken their lives. I pray every day for more peace, love and compassion in this world.

I have been following you for a while now. I find your words and views to be well thought out, sensitive, strong and intelligent. While I don’t always agree with you on issues, more often than not I do. One thing I truly love the most about you is that you are a great ‘face’ to bring positive attention to people considering gender changes, people fighting with it internally, people trying to come to grips with it, people trying to get loved ones on board to continue to love them in conjunction with their struggles and decisions. Furthermore, you are enlightening the public in a way never done before that these are people, period! They deserve to be treated as such. They want to be loved like anyone else. They do not deserve to be treated cruelly or with violence. No human being does, but we have a society where thugs and bullies like to prey on the perceived ‘weak’ of society, simply because it is easier to physically attack someone who may be smaller, or someone who is not part of a ‘popular’ or ‘accepted group.

I cannot pretend to understand what a transgender person deal with. I am a white, straight male. I cannot pretend to understand what it feels like to be Asian, Black, or even a white person from another part of the world. What I do know if that every one of us have issues we grapple with. Too often we keep these thoughts inside of us as we are afraid of being seen as ‘crazy’ or something outside of societal norms, whatever that is. What I also know is that when we discover that the little secrets we carry are not a sign of illness, that many other people are just like us, it is very discover this and learn that we are in very great company. My own very recent & personal discoveries about myself have helped me to better understand why gay people feel a need to ‘come out’. It’s so exciting to finally know I am okay. I just wish I didn’t have to wait until I was almost 60 to learn this. It would have made a huge difference in my life had I learned 40 years earlier.

BTW, I am a married man married to an incredible woman with 2 daughters I am so proud of. I am a former US Marine and former conservative Republican who is now a conservative Libertarian. My beliefs are my true beliefs, not the beliefs many believe are limited to left wing liberals.

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